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Burt Gummer's Rec Room- Archive 2014
A gathering place for paranoid survivalists and those who worship at the Church of Chang
Disclaimer: This is the part of the Church that is the most no holds barred. None of it is intended with malice, and although it can on occasion seem a little bit fraught, it is banter rather than venom. So, be warned that this is like taking a naked swim in a piranha tank and not recommended for the faint of heart.
4,888 responses to "Burt Gummer's Rec Room- Archive 2014"
tombando says :
Saw the Bucket List. Huh. Grumpy old men w Jaack and Easy Reader. I actually liked it. But enjoyed the ep of the Sodd Couple afterwards better. Klugman and Randall were fun.
M. Blitz says :
You're a brave one Bando! Odd Couple is great though. I caught some early morning I Love Lucy today. Been a long time. Still funny.
Missed out on King Creole on Elvis day. One of my faves. Caught a couple of those goofy early 60's Ann Margaret duos though. So fun! Lots of stiff hip shaking hysterics going on.
M. Blitz says :
My brother's response to walking in on a Loretta Young marathon in progress, bug-eyed: "DAMN! Why don't chicks look like that anymore??"
Just Pillow Talk says :
Brick Mansions was pretty much what I was expecting. Really hate the way it was shot, which is the case for most action movies these days. Stupid plot, ending, you name it.
tombando says :
Okay, Selma. Its really good. I can agree that the Mlk actor and Duvarny the director were screwed by Oscar. Have all seen much worse nominated. Yah they make out Tom Wilkinson's Lbj as being worse on Civil rights than he was, and Tim Roth as George Wallace made me do a doubletake, but so? I enjoyed the picture of Mlk as being flawed, at times unsure, and confronted w dissension in the ranks. This, the march over the bridge into the brownshirts and the overall feeling you get watching is this is a serious film that takes mlk and co very seriously. Its oscar bait but it earns that. I liked the little bits of Martin Sheen, Oprah, Cuba Gooding and our friend from the RV in the walking dead. Distractingly theres an actor who looks a lot like Rihanna in the background all thru it, prob isn't Ms Umbrella but you are taken outta the picture by this.
Worse parts? Lbj rings up J Edgar– Curt Connors from the Maguire Spideys–then its cut to Mlk being blackmailed in front of Coretta. That ddidn't happen. I think Lbj was a bigtime sleaze, but here he deserved better. You should still see it. Best movie from last yr I saw , albeit that tops out at 20 or so.
tombando says :
The vagaries of fandom–the Loretta Young Show in the fifties wasn't bad, ran for yrs, had the usual run of high profile guest stars–but you hear as much on it as you do say Make Room for Daddy or whatever. Some stuff just vanishes. Bob Cummings was another one. Basically Dick Van Dyke sr. But nada.
Continentalop says :
In defense of the Academy, I think SELMA getting snubbed has less to do with any racism on the Academy's part, and more to do with the fact that SELMA didn't send screeners to a lot of guild awards and sent them late to Academy voters.
It sounds like a pretty poor add campaign.
tombando says :
Loretta Young story: a famed Good Girl of the studio age, unlike her rival Marlene Dietrich who was notorious for putting out like a broken coke machine. Catholic guilt burdoned Loretta however had the habit of doing her co-stars, not a couple married. So of course Young would turn around and trying to make good w her faith, doled out the $ to the Church… Dietrich would take friends around LA on her 'Loretta Young' tour, stopping and pointing out all these newly buildt or refurbished Churches. Said to be a rather lengthy tour, at least acc to Marlene's daughter….
Just Pillow Talk says :
Jarv, when can we expect a review of Paddington?
Jarv says :
I loved paddington bear when I was a kid- genuinely loved it. So am bracing myself for an atrocity. The fact it features Kidman doesn't bode well.
But I have it on the way now, so we'll see.
tombando says :
2 more in the vhs marathon, 2003 edition.
The Recruit–Pacino, Farrell, Moynihan. Cia shenanigans w Recruiter Al going rogue and using ace Newbie Colin for his nefarious ends. Silliness involving cds and two lovers being played off vs each other. By the numbers, Al walks thru it and so does the viewer. Needs that tiger and his hat.
The Italian Job–Marky Mark, The Theron, Mos Def and co do the Fast and Furious routine in Mini Coopers, copters and leave Ed Norton to inspect the Ukrainian Mobs shop tools. Pretty fun, also by the numbers but worth seeing it again. Gold bars apparently weigh 4 lbs each in Hollywood.
Continentalop says :
Happy New Year, all (I don't think I have stopped in yet in 2015). Hope everyone survived the holidays.
Continentalop says :
Recent viewings.
Finished Buffy S7 and half way through Angel S5.
Started Orange is the New Black.
Saw FURY – nothing special, which is why I liked it. It doesn't go overboard with sentimentalizing the war and the soldiers, and the relationship between the tank crew is like 100x more realistic than SPR's 1943 WWII propaganda central casting.
FOXCATCHER – good movie, but I didn't love it. In part because I am really familiar with the actual case, which is way weirder and more interesting than the movie they made about it. But Steve Carrell and the others make it worth watching just for the performances.
IMITATION GAME – incredibly disappointing. Not as bad as THE KING'S SPEECH, but another incident of the Weinstien manipulating Academy voters with safe claptrap. It is a movie about a scientist who was persecuted for being a homosexual, and the most important relationship he has in the movie is with a woman? I mean, Charles Bronson's THE MECHANIC is gayer than this movie, and that was just with insinuations. The modern day equivalent to GUESS WHO IS COMING TO DINNER – taking a controversial theme and making a film about it for retired people.
THE BABADOOK – Next to BIRDMAN, my favorite film of the year.
Harry Palmer double feature – THE IPCRESS FILE and FUNERAL IN BERLIN. Michael Caine is a global treasure.
Also rewatched the Pacific and a bunch of old movies.
tombando says :
Fury Was good. Yes I heard Imitation Game being honored more than Selma and whatever else caused alotta squawking. Didn't see any of these save for Selma, and found much to admire there despite the Pc air it no doubt has. Boyhood and American Sniper interest. Unsure about Birdman–ok Keaton's great but what's it about?
Fucking Green Bay youse let the Sea Chickens win that one. Currently Pats beating Suck for Luck. More please.
Judge Droid says :
By the opp having the ball on the 1 yard line twice and settling for field goals. Game could've been over at half time.
Judge Droid says :
Yep. Not throwing at Sherman even though he's playing with 1 arm. Missed interception. There were a bunch of mistakes in the second half.
Jarv says :
Turing (I think that's who the imitation game is about) was a weirdo. Although gay, he was practically asexual and the two most important relationships in his life were with women. I suspect there's a great film to be made about Turing- in particular about how badly we treated him, but I would be amazed if that piece of oscar bait shit is it.
Judge Droid says :
Nah it's a solid movie. It does focus mostly on the enigma code breaking stuff, which is what I'm interested in, not Turing sneaking around getting bummed. Instead of sneaky alleyway bum sessions, it deals more with his personality, which comes across in the movie as a fairly substantial mental disorder, and relationships with co-workers and a female "friend". The horrific treatment by the UK government doesn't get quite enough screentime perhaps, but it's not the films focus so it didn't bother me much.
I don't know anything about Turing, so I have no idea if the movie is accurate or whatever, but as a piece of entertainment that's based around factual events and people it's fine.
Jarv says :
Turing, if he lived nowadays, would be on the autistic spectrum somewhere. He was fucked up.
Continentalop says :
My problem with THE IMITATION GAME isn't that I wanted to see him getting "bummed" but that for a gay man who later gets arrested for having gay sex, it seems odd that most of his time on screen is spent with a woman. I mean, you never even see him with another guy man the entire movie in the same frame (yes, you see him fall in love as a kid, but never once as an adult is he in the room with another adult gay person, not even the guy who he ends up getting arrested over).
The movie just seems to radiate that kind of "safeness" and "tameness" you associate with Weinstien projects. Liberalism for older conservative film-goers.
Xiphos0311 says :
Fury's video game ending ruined what was a decent if not very special flick. The scatter shot tone didn't help either. The battle tank,scenes were well done.
Judge Droid says :
Recent viewing…
Halt and Catch Fire – The first season. Was okay. Could do without another main character with the "mysterious past" that provides the writers with carte blanche to make up random character motivations simply for the DRAMA!!! At least Don Draper had a pretty interesting back story which kind of informed his fucked up personality. This guys a bit of an entitled drama queen with serious Daddy issues. But it's entertaining enough I guess and I like Scoot McNairy as the tech guy. And the opening credits are pretty cool.
Just Pillow Talk says :
I don't recognize that show, what's it about? Too lazy to look it up of course.
Judge Droid says :
Its set in the 80's and about a personal computer company taking on IBM. Someone here mentioned it. I'm assuming it was Xi, since he watches a lot of TV.
Xiphos0311 says :
Yeah that was me I reviewed Halt and Catch Fire. It started off pretty rough but came around in the end pretty good once they figured out that the skinny broad and the Pie Man aka Don Draper lite weren't the real stars of the show and that the nerd and his old lady are. H&CF is more or less a fictionalized version of the Compaq Computer story.
Just Pillow Talk says :
So I watched Godzilla, which if you put aside the cock tease of showing the monsters for 3/4 of the film, was decent. No annoying characters, good production, some nice visuals. I wasn't looking for Pacific Rim level of monster showing, just a bit more. I mean, what the hell, if your movie is named Godzilla, show him a bit more.
Toadkillerdog says :
Hola Pillow,
The King deserved better.
I mean, it was not a bad flick, but it boring and practically pointless as a Big G movie. Where the hell was the action? You only saw the aftermath not the throwdown. Was is budget cuts or just stupidity? I think the later. Just a disappointment, and they even screwed up the roar!
Onto another stupid movie. I watched Transcendence. Can you say ludicrous? Because I guarantee that the screenwriters could not. Just a lame, stupid, dumb, inane, and hackneyed writing attempt. The flick itself looks nice at times, but script was written by a twelve year old.
tombando says :
……Harold co-produced that?! Now I understand….
Judge Droid says :
Hated Godzilla. Hated the cock tease. Hated that they killed off the only decent character and chose to focus on the dull as dogshit Kick Ass. Hated the lousy script that put Kick Ass in the middle of every significant event. PR had so many monotonous monster fights (and crap characters) that it became boring. This was boring because of a lack of monster fights (and too many crap characters). Somewhere in between and you've got a good movie (if you fix the crap characters thing).
Jarv says :
Wasn't a huge fan of monsters, so can't say I was shocked that Godzilla blew.
Anyone got any content in the near future? Work is fucking me hard (although I am about to get promoted to the mediocre money) so I haven't had a chance.
I've got Paddington on the way though, hopefully.
Jarv says :
I've also got Woman in Black 2. That one will be shit. Guaranteed.
Continentalop says :
RE: GODZILLA. I loved the style of the movie, how the monsters looked and how almost everything was shot from the subjective view of the humans. But God(zilla) I hated that fucking movie.
The humans were so fucking boring, especially the lead. And how they forced him into every major scene was just stupid. The film is shot in a "realistic" style but you're going to have a plot that is more contrived than ID4? Fuck that film.
Jarv says :
Fuck it. I'm going to rewatch Zombeavers and do that.
Seeing as both Paddington and The Woman in Black 2 came in fucked up.
Judge Droid says :
Congrats mate.
tombando says :
Ditto hoping the new job comes thru and you like it.
Just Pillow Talk says :
See, go through a tramautic film experience and you get a job.
It's the small sacrifices.
Jarv says :
Congrats. Should be admin from here on in.
ThereWolf says :
Got a lengthy 'health check' form to fill in, then an ID interview, got to produce a reference for the period of unemployment and obtain a hard copy of my secondary school exam results (coz I can't find 'em – it was a long time ago)…
ThereWolf says :
Cheers, Blitz.
All paperwork and no play makes Wolf a dull boy…
Jarv says :
Fuck me. I'm about to be made redundant again.
Judge Droid says :
That sucks. Thought you were getting a promotion or raise or something.
Jarv says :
I was!
My manager is going back to Australia and I'm meant to be getting his job. Except the parent company decided to kill the entire division instead.
ThereWolf says :
Shite. That's cruel.
Jarv says :
Cheers guys.
Xiphos0311 says :
Congrats Wolf.
tombando says :
More vhs marathon: Swat. By the numbers, but ala Italian Job, Farrell, Sammy Jax and Michelle Rodriguez help put it across. You know who will do what when where. Airplane/SUV duel on the bridge is usual sub Bay type nonsense. Jeremy Renner is in this. Have had this vhs for say ten yrs, cannot say I Knew this despite watching it a few times. Pre-hurt locker? Whozzat?
Directed by Clark Johnson. What's a Clark Johnson?
M. Blitz says :
I saw most of Swat in the middle of the night in a hotel room on travel for work, so probably a few years ago now. I remember having no idea what it was called and thinking "I bet it's called something really obvious like Swat," and it was! I recall it being pretty enjoyable, if not particularly memorable. Had definitely forgotten about it til now.
Just Pillow Talk says :
Watched the second half of Constantine, which wasn't as good when compared to part one of the cliffhanger.
kloipy says :
Hey all! Hope everyone has been well.
Recent viewing: Gone Girl. Not Fincher's best but I still thought it was pretty damn solid. Didn't like the girl who played the titular girl because her performance was really wooden and her dialogue sucked. Affleck was good.
Continentalop says :
Finished off ANGEL season 5.
Both loved the finale and pissed off at it. Not because it was a "cliffhanger" but because the show had really hit stride. This is 100x worse than when SyFy decided not to renew Alphas, which finally was getting really good.
Also, Spike & Angel are more soul mates than Spike or Angel and Buffy ever were.
Xiphos0311 says :
The last visual in Angels final episode was one of the best single shots in TV history. Man was that a great show.
Continentalop says :
Yeah, and even though I wish they made one more season (or even more) I still would want that to be the final episode and that to be the final scene. Loved the laconic dialogue at the end.
OK. You take the 30,000 on the left…
You're fading. You'll last 10 minutes at best.
Then let's make 'em memorable..
In terms of a plan?
We fight.
Bit more specific.
Well, personally, I kind of want to slay the dragon.
Let's go to work.
tombando says :
Oh boys divorce court time! Next 2 months will be fun.
M. Blitz says :
Hey Jarv, the Guardian is trying to make amends with you….
Just Pillow Talk says :
Recent viewings….
Finished Firefly, which I quite liked.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – really liked this. Suppose you could say some human characters are underwritten, but it's Ceasar's story, so I don't mind.
Supernatural – never watched this, so saw first two episodes.
M. Blitz says :
I've been meaning to see Dawn. I loved Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Got way emotionally invested in that movie. Humans are such dicks.
Caught a couple eps of Supernatural a while ago, but it was from the middle of the show. I can see how it could get addictive, cuz i continued to watch despite having no clue what was going on.
M. Blitz says :
Just saw your news, Jarv. Fuck's sake. I am nearly speechless.
I hope it turns out differently and those fuckers change course and retain you.
Barfy says :
Ready to sit and they pulled the chair out from under you. Sucks.
Jarv says :
We're seeing stages of grief in action. Currently most are in denial. It's allegedly business as usual.
Fucking joke.
Jarv says :
I seem to have skipped denial and shot straight to anger. Planning to skip bargaining and depression too, as I'm already planning new job.
Toadkillerdog says :
I am sorry to hear the news, but you have the right attitude – keep planning my friend. Feeling sorry for yourself only helps the alcohol and tissue companies.
Hola Barfy, I hope all is well.
Pillow, are you ready for some football? I want a damn good game. Outside of last year, we had been spoiled for the past 6 or seven superbowls all being great.
I see this as either being a Pats blowout, or a really tight game with Seattle pulling it out at the end.
Seattle has no offense outside of Lynch and an improvising Wilson. Pats too disciplined to let Wilson beat them, but they can be run on.
Hawks do not bring enough pressure with defensive ends to bother Brady the way my Gmen did against him, so i see him carving up the middle on quick slants and bubble screens. Gronk gonna be gronk, although i truly hope for an earthshaking meeting across the middle with him an chancellor.
I do think this game favors Pats because hawks secondary is hurting and no pressure up front.
Tom, I am finishing up breaking bad. I enjoy it, but good gravy, i know it is only teevee, but some of the choices being made are shall we say, suspect?
I have yet to see American Sniper. I get a bit ambivalent about yet another hollywood war movie. Some buddies have told me it was damn good though.
Just want to say one thing, i know nothing about Kyle, but I know what he did, and only a true jackass who never faced fire would ever say that a sniper is a coward.
That man protected. War aint for the squeamish, which is why i always get pissed off when either the hawks or doves side over state their positions.
Conti, I thought about you while watching French Connection for the umpteenth time. Just a great flick
Jarv says :
Just seen the pathetically unfunny and juvenile Ted 2 poster. I didn't wildly hate the first one, but if the film is at that level, then I'm going to loathe the sequel.
tombando says :
Best of Simon and Simon seasons Too and three, 10 epps each. Pretty ok best shows have equal parts Power Wagon, Anne Francis and Tim Reid. Byplay between leads pretty good. Very early 80's.
Black Oil Xfiles eps-18 shows on aliens Scully and Moulder. 4 best–Alien on train, Roy Thinnes as a Christ like alien, 2-fer involving aliens, plane shot down and a missing doohickey nasty Lockheed types want. A couple misfires but its fine. Show at its best 95-97.
tombando says :
Snow day viewing: Big Clock-Ray Milland, Laughton, Maureen Osullivan, Sherman Potter. Forerunner to No Way Out. Good stuff, Milland always worthwhile.
Casablanca-Bogie, Bergman etc great as always just uber old hat now. Still grabs you.
Shadow of a doubt– Hitchcock, Terry Wright, Hume Cronin, Cotton and Clarance. Great stuff.
Vhs marathon–Phenomenon–Travolting, Duvall, Whitaker, Kyra Sedgewick. Charlie reworking, it works pretty ok despite itself.
Just Pillow Talk says :
Watched the latest Arrow and I'm through episode 10 on Supernatural, about a bazillion more to go.
Continentalop says :
Watched GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY this week.
GBH is ok. Ralph Fiennes is incredible as the lead concierge Mr. Gustave, but the movie itself leaves little of an impression.
GOTG – I know this is supposed to be Marvel's masterpiece, but it bored me to tears. It is Roger Corman movie down with just a bigger budget (and less punk rock taboo breaking and nudity/sex). On top of it, the actual narrative/plot/story is nonsensical, and the way the story is told is just amateur hour. They really should be called the Guardians of Exposition.
At best GotG is "meh".
Toadkillerdog says :
I'm just here so i don't get fined
Just Pillow Talk says :
Guardians is the best Marvel movie. Yup, the Marvel fanboys think all of them "nailed it", but I did have the most fun with Guardians.
I tried watching some of Grand, but it's just not my cup of tea. I thought that was meh.
Just Pillow Talk says :
So up through the first 12 episodes of Supernatural, and only one of them wasn't good. One nitpick: I hope they are done bitching about following (or not) their Dad's orders, because when you watch the episodes back-to-back, it's annoying as hell.
kloipy says :
Anyone watching Peaky Blinders? Can't wait for House of Cards to come back
tombando says :
Ok American Skeet Shooter aka The Green Berets Toby Keith Boogaloo. Clint did his normal super efficient, linearly plotted, commentary free job. Nothing here surprised me, but I did like Bradley Cooper. It turns into a rehash of Ed Harris vs Fiennes Jr Stalingrad oddly, which made me wonder.
Some good sequences involving a sniper scope, a Fallujahisg street and armed kids. Shoot or not? Clint did those well. Less good was the repeated connecting Saddam to 9-11 bullshit, no questions asked. Kyle as portrayed by Cooper is a lethal meathead, and it makes it seem like this one sniper turned the tide in Ramadi, Sadr City and Fallujah by his lonesome. Reality and certain coworkers of mine beg to differ.
They chose to zip thru the man's PTSD struggles, you see him glowering in a bar and attempting to filet a collie, but really it goes from 4th tour to 2013 in no time.
I liked it ok, its as stated a fine directorial Clint job. But it threatoned to become Rambo lite in places. Cooper has Kyle start out like a Garth Brooks video character, and you only scratch the surface of what he becomes as the yrs go by in country and at home. I liked his time w Wounded Vets, they should have done more with that at the end.
As far's his being brave, of course. All those guys are. I felt like I was expected to respect his More so than say a coworker of mine who was a Marine, wounded badly in Fallujah, etc and likewise had to put his life back together afterwards. That didn't sit well.
Anyways, its alright, not worth the Left vs Right shitfest you see online about it. You can like both Selma and American Skeet Shooter and live to tell about it.
I think Xiphos will hate it.
Continentalop says :
Did Tom Bando direct that halftime show?
Just Pillow Talk says :
Almost through season one of Supernatural, which has been okay if very formulaic. A few episodes have stood out for me: revisiting their old home, second appearance of Meg, and the vampires one.
Constantine – watched the last two episodes, of which the last one with the dream world was much better, though how Chas dealt with a problem in the previous episode was pretty good.
I, Frankenstein – of course this wasn't very good, but I didn't hate it because Nighy is still great in this. I guess I would say this was better than Abe Vampire Slayer. It is remarkable how all the different corpses used to make Aaron into Frankenstein, all looked like….himself.
Judge Droid says :
Yo. Been a while since my last update. That I can remember…
A Most Violent Year – Decent crime movie. Actually fairly unique in that there's actually very little violence in it. Moreso the threat of violence. Well acted and all that. Worth a look.
Kill The Messenger – Solid movie that's probably lacking a more definitive resolution. The endings just a bit vague and open. Which might be true, but is just a little unsatisfying.
The Gambler – Entitled douchebag throws his money away in a useless attempt to bring meaning into his pathetic life. Hated this movie.
The Grand Budapest Hotel – While I suppose you can appreciate Wes Anderson movies nowadays for obsessive, anal attention to the smallest detail of the production design, I haven't liked a Wes Anderson movie since The Royal Tenenbaums (I really like Fox, but that's based on great source material so I haven't included it). There are briefly entertaining moments scattered throughout this movie, and Fiennes is very good but don't care about the characters nor do I care about the story. And I'm sick to death of Andersons left to right (or vice versa) dolly track camera move, which he repeats about 15 million times in this movie.
The Wedding Singer – Pretty entertaining movie. Probably Sandlers best. Up there anyway.
The Wolverine – Watched the uncut version (I saw the normal version at the cinema). It's pretty good, and a lot better than any of the X-Men movies.
The usual TV stuff. Arrow, Flash, SN, The Blacklist, Gotham. Gotham is so terrible. There is no reason why I'm still watching it. But I am. I'm curious about how they're going to develop Nigma though.
Superbowl – Glad the Pats won. Their game plan was brilliant, and Brady pulled it off damn well (despite the interceptions). I don't mind Seattle but they didn't deserve to win. That fucking bobbled second grab off his legs catch near the end was a joke. Even luckier than the helmet catch. The look on that trash talking cockhead Shermans face when the pass was intercepted. Gold. You sad, bro? Seattle were trying to be too clever by half. This time it blew up in their face. Just let Lynch run it in. The guy didn't get stopped for negative yards all game. Carroll has the best defence in the league and he's worried about taking time off the clock? Just make sure you get the touchdown! Anyway, was an entertaining game.
Apart from that I was best man at my mates wedding last week and today was my first day back at uni. And I'm still trying to repair my back after I injured it in December. Swimming and stretching it at the pool every day. My advice? Never do your back. It's a fucking horrible experience that lingers for ages.
Continentalop says :
I had to give up on Gotham. Just couldn't handle any more of its retardness.
The only thing I really, really liked (Gordon and Alfred I just liked) on that show was Robin Taylor's Penguin. Has he become crappy too by now?
Judge Droid says :
Penguins okay. But I've never been too crazy about him. While he may be the best character on the show, that's not saying much. The shows biggest problem is the inept writing. It's complete and utter dreck, and quite frankly, I feel bad for the actors at least twice every episode. The other problem with the show is that it's desperate to include all the characters, so you end up with situations like Harvey Dent being (poorly) introduced, then two eps later he's gone and not heard from since. You also have shit like Gordon being demoted to security guard at Arkham Asylum (for the mid-season break), but he's back as detective 2 episodes (the start of the 2nd ep) later.
And next week they're introducing Scarecrow!
Continentalop says :
It is honestly one of the worst paced shows I've ever seen. I just finished Angel a week or two ago, and Gotham could have learned a lot about structure and plot arcs and serial story telling from that show (and Veronica Mars).
And I hate how every character introduced on Gotham is always just one step away from their final destination. Selina Kyle is already Catwoman, just real young; Edward Nygma is already ready to be the Riddler; and Harvey Dent is pretty much Two-Face the day before acid is thrown in his face. So we're going to have to spend several seasons watching these characters do nothing and stand in place as they wait for Batman to show up?
Only Bruce Wayne and the Penguin have arcs (and they've pretty much already went thru Penguins in just ten episodes or so).
Continentalop says :
Only saw two movies over the weekend, with the Super Bowl and UFC and work and all.
Only Lovers Left Alive – some interesting ideas but overall just nothing that new. And watching it I realized it really isn't about vampires but another form of undead – 90s hipster/slackers (which makes sense since Jim Jarmusch made it).
Snow White and the Huntsman – I have no clue why I watched it. This was just garbage.
Going to put on Hitchcock's STAGE FRIGHT, one of his few movies I've never seen before.
tombando says :
What else did I see besides American Skeet Shooter and Katy Perry? Hmmm. Gamera vs Brain eating Alien Women, Mstk3-fun!
Empire of the Ants: Joan Collins, Ants on glass, Robert Lansing. 1977 crud. Wow bad as I remember.
Coverage of all these Morons that don't vaccinate their kids. They deserve what they get.
Toadkillerdog says :
incomprehensible. inconceivable.
why did they pass?
I can not stand the pats and their cheating ways.
i cannot stand the apologists who always say' they would have won no matter what' as if
1) that excuses the behavior
2) it ignores the fact that the only reason you cheat is because you believe it helps you to win. otherwise why cheat?
i have no great love of the hawks, i was happy they beat the broncos last year, but anyone but the pats.
whoever made that call should lose their job.
bunch of bullshit apologists on that side too.
one yard, best shirt yardage back in game, just had run for four yards plenty of time on click, your best player, and you throw the damn ball?
either was to send a message to lynch or bolster wilson, or to prove how smart you are. all failed. bellicheat fucked up the timeouts and still won.
i dont hate brady much anymore, he loves the game and loves to win, cant fault that, but damn one damn yard
Toadkillerdog says :
i finally finished Breaking bad.
i really enjoyed it, and i echo the comment of Tom or R2, i forget who said it, that when it was good it was great, but when it was bad it made no sense or something like that. some truly stupid choices by the writers at times but overall it was great
tombando says :
Pete Carroll did a Marty Schottenheimer. A good time.
Never seen Breaking Bad. Waren't me Toad.
Who was Ruf rooting for?
Planning to check out some more Quinn Martin Production(tm) stuff, this time the Fbi.
Cousin of mine in Eastport Maine reports 76 inches of snow in past 10 days. Time for the white flag and Miami !
Katy Perry likes lions. Well that's a start.
Toadkillerdog says :
dashcam catching that plane crash was incredible, SUV plane crash was tragic and just hard to understand
isis continues to act like they grew up watching hollywood movies on how to be villains
Continentalop says :
I use ISIL instead of ISIS. refuse to call them ISIS. They slander the memory of The Secret of Isis.
Continentalop says :
75 best edited movies of all-time:
1. "Raging Bull" (edited by Thelma Schoonmaker, 1980)
2. "Citizen Kane" (edited by Robert Wise, 1941)
3. "Apocalypse Now" (edited by Lisa Fruchtman, Gerald B. Greenberg, Walter Murch, 1979)
4. "All That Jazz" (edited by Alan Heim, 1979)
5. "Bonnie And Clyde" (edited by Dede Allen, 1967)
6. "The Godfather" (edited by William H. Reynolds, Peter Zinner, 1972)
7. "Lawrence of Arabia" (edited by Anne V. Coates, 1962)
8. "Jaws" (edited by Verna Fields, 1975)
9. "JFK" (edited by Pietro Scalia, Joe Hutshing, 1991)
10. "The French Connection" (edited by Gerald B. Greenberg, 1971)
Personally I think GOODFELLAS should be #1, but glad to see 7 out of the top 10, and 25 out of the 75 listed, are New Hollywood films (1967-1980).
Continentalop says :
I'm just going to say, I'd have totally slept with a young Joyce Grenfell.
Just Pillow Talk says :
Finished season one and through a few episodes in season two of Supernatural. It certainly picked up, with the cliffhanger of season one being great, Dean's out of body experience, crossing paths with a vampire hunter, and the clown all being very solid.
I've noticed that the light hearted episodes, they really seem to excel at.
Judge Droid says :
Season 4 I think. They do excel at comedy. What's also good about them is the comedy eps are all pretty unique and memorable. The MOTW eps kind of run together apart from a handful of them.
tombando says :
Weekend viewing–vhs marathon cont.:
*1998 Broncos highlights, fun to see them win it all again w Elway, Terrell Davis, etc. Rod Smith. Dirty Birds rolled.
*Gangs of New York-2002 would be Scorsese epic of 1860's NYC, Leo, Day Lewis aping DeNiro, Diaz etc. Cameo app by Liam Neeson and the Civil War. Odd West Side Storyesque plot w large knifefights, the Draft riots and Day Lewis chewing up the Bowery. Not nearly as good as it was meant to be. Remote.
*Unforgiven–1992 Clint reworking of High Plains Drifter, sorta. Like it but always felt it rambled. Nice turns by Clint, Hackman, Freeman. Odd Richard Harris arc, either get him and Clint in a shootout or don't bother. Works though.
*In the Line of Fire–1993 Clint as SS vet, staving off nutjob Malkovich's prezzy assassination plot. I like his formica gun myself. John Mahoney, Rene Russo, Fred Thompson. Pretty good still.
*The Others–2001 Nicole Kidman haunted house yarn. Icy, not badly acted, decent turns by the kids, she sees dead people too.
*The 6th Sense–'99 Twilite Zone episode tale of ghostly shrink Bruce counselling troubled child medium Osment in Philly. Slow paced but still effective, no idea what became of That director after 2002…
*The Bucky Dent game '78. Fucking Piniella.
Judge Droid says :
Recent Viewing…
The Judge – This was okay, thanks to a likeable cast. It's way too long though. 140 minutes! The retarded brother was a cheap and horrible, blatantly obvious exposition tool.
Fat City – Decent movie. Man, Bridges looks so young!
European Vacation – Haven't seen this for 20 years. I remembered it being funny. It's not really. There are a couple of good jokes, but overall it's a bit shit.
Alexanders Horrible Day – Abbreviation of stupidly long title. A solid kids movie.
From Russia With Love – I liked this. Could have done without the sister out for revenge being introduced and killed off in the matter of minutes. But pretty good.
Goldfinger – This is pretty fun and I liked the silly evil plot to drive up the price of gold.
This Is Where I Leave You – Home for the Holidays style dysfunctional family crap. It's watchable thanks to a couple of likeable actors, but really who gives a shit about any of the characters?
Big Eyes – An odd departure for Tim Burton and while it's efficiently made and acted, I didn't really get the feeling there was a great deal of interest in telling this story.
About Time – Sentimental as shit and I was a little confused by some of the time travel (especially the taking the sister back bit) but that aside it's harmless schmaltz. I didn't mind it.
Just Pillow Talk says :
I think I saw About Time….it was okay. It ran in the family, right?
Goldfinger is very silly, he really did make Bond movies that were like Moore's.
I just watched him in November Man, which was decent. Olga, Olga, Olga….
Judge Droid says :
Yeah. It was an ability passed on from father to son.
Two things about the movie.
1. It didn't make use of the time travel enough in either plot or for comedy.
2. Richard Curtis has mummy issues. This is the second movie he's made where the love interest has the same name as the characters mum. The other one was Love Actually and Liam Neesons kid has a crush on a girl named Joanna ("Just like mum!"). Weird.
Toadkillerdog says :
the biggest difference between Connery and everyone else including Moore is that Connery could pull off the menace and charm that Bond requires, as well as handle the physical action. Roger Moore was a light comedian, perfect for The Saint, but miscast as Bond. He tried to make up for it with humor. I liked some of the early Moore efforts, and he was incredible in For your Eyes only, but Bond should be more than a dude in a tux with a quip
Jarv says :
The difference between Connery and the rest is that the rest (including Craig) could all handle one aspect of Bond, but not the lot-
Moore- Humour and Quips
Dalton- Believe he could actually kill someone
Brosnan- Charm
Lazneby- Horribly miscast, Charm at a push
Craig- Violence.
Connery is the only one that got across the beating shit out of someone and the charm.
Jarv says :
Goldfinger – This is pretty fun and I liked the silly evil plot to drive up the price of gold.
Arguably the best bond movie.
Recent viewing:
Grimm and Constantine- good, really good, episode of the former and another meh fest in the latter.
ASM2- shite. Better than ASM1
The Lego Movie: EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!!! Actually, surprisingly good, considering it's an extended toy ad.
Judge Droid says :
It's definitely up there with the best I've seen. But I haven't seen that many.
As previously discussed, I liked ASM2 even with its multitude of problems. Lego's okay.
Toadkillerdog says :
Love Goldfinger. It was the quintessential Bond, the quips, the car, the song and the very height of his popularity and also the beginning of the gadget Bond. But my money goes on From Russia with Love as the best Bond of them all.
The locations, the women, the villains and Connery was locked in as Bond. The suavity and the menace.
It also was one of the tightest just in terms of story telling. Just a great flick all around.
Spidey back in the MCU!
Jarv says :
Living Daylights is a big ball of meh.
For Your Eyes Only ditto.
Sydow doesn't count, because that was Never say Never again.
Connery's best film is one of Goldfinger, FRWL, or Thunderball.
Worst is easily Diamonds are Forever. Crap.
Moore's best is The Spy Who Loved me.
Worst is probably Moonraker
Lazenby's OHMSS is actually a good film.
Dalton's best is License to Kill. Both are crap though
Brosnan's best is GOldeneye by a country mile. Rest are crap.
Craig's best is CR- worst is Quantum, but Skyfall sucks a fat one too.
tombando says :
Oh I saw that…I meant 'You Only Live Twice', for some reason thought Sydow was in it. I've seen the '83 one(s).
Toadkillerdog says :
Pretty much agree with Jarv on Connery's best, although I would flip FRWL with Goldfinger.
Diamonds, well as I have said before that was my very first Bond flick. Mom literally dragged me kicking and screaming – hey I was 5 or 6 tops, to see it and I was hooked ever since. But yes, I cringe at how bad it is when i look at it now.
Continentalop says :
Favorite Connery Bond is GOLDFINGER.
Favorite that Connery should have been in Is HMSS.
Favorite Moore is LIVE AND LET DIE.
Favorite Dalton is LICENSE TO KILL (or LIVE AND LET DIE REDUX)
Favorite Brosnon – jesus, I can't think of one I actually liked.
Favorite Craig – CASINO ROYALE. The other two have been horrible letdowns.
Jarv says :
Favorite Moore is LIVE AND LET DIE.
Nah- Spy Who Loved Me is Moore's best, easily. And it's arguably got the best opening to any of them.
Continentalop says :
I don't know. LALD has a great villain (Yaphet Kotto), a great Bond girl (Jane Seymour), a memorable henchman (Tee Hee), a "realistic" plot, the first black Bond girl, and the best Bond chase scene (the boats) and the best Bond song (so good they used it for score, and one that I give a slight edge over "Nobody Does It Better").
I think LALD edges out TSWLM.
Jarv says :
LALD did not have a realistic plot on any level.
And McCartney sucks. And is s massive twat
Jarv says :
Zombies, underground labs, fat suits, fake psychics etc are not realistic.
I don't mind unrealistic plots in bond films , just embrace the lunacy- which SWLM does to a tee
Continentalop says :
I think FAT CITY is a great movie, droid. One of the best boxing movies ever IMO. And Stacey Keach and Susan Tyrill are great in it (if hard to watch).
Judge Droid says :
Keach was good. Objectively Tyrill was good but fucking hell her character was annoying.
Just Pillow Talk says :
Also halfway through season two of Supernatural.
Judge Droid says :
This is where it starts to get good. The first season was a typical first season for a show like this. Mostly MOTW cause they don't know if there's going to be a second season. But now they can commit to a bigger story. And it's a good one.
Continentalop says :
Recently viewed:
THE THIN MAN – an eternal classic. "I'm a hero. I was shot twice in the Tribune." "I read where you were shot 5 times in the tabloids." "It's not true. He didn't come anywhere near my tabloids."
GONE, BABY, GONE – slips a little bit the second time watching it, but still a very good modern PI movie. Would rather watch a Kenzie and Gennaro series than another True Detective series on HBO.
NETWORK – A true masterpiece. Sydney Lumet at his peak. "I'm mad as Hell and I am not going to take it anymore."
BATTLEGROUND – an almost forgotten WWII drama from 1949 about the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division during the Siege of Bastogne. One of the best war movies ever made IMO. It doesn't have the gritty violence or high production values of SPR or FURY or BAND OF BROTHERS, but has an authenticity none of them can match (not even BoB). Between screenwriter Robert Poirish (who served as a master sergeant in WWII and was involved in the Battle of the Ardennes), director "WIld Bill" Wellman (who was in the Ambulance Corp. and then as Legionnaire during WWI), and the technical advisors they hired (20 veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, who also served as extras), the film puts in enough little touches that only men who were there or saw combat would probably know about. And unlike earlier war movies or modern WWII movies, these guys are neither superheroes or noble martyrs (no John Waynes or Tom Hanks to be seen). The acting and characterizations might be dated, but the actual human behavior they display is timeless. They slack off, bitch, scheme to get off the front line, and sometimes contemplate deserting or fleeing. There is heroism and nobility amongst them, but also cowardice and selfishness, making them feel more real than the squad from central casting Spielberg had in SPR.
Highly recommend.
Also finished season one of ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, which I liked a lot. And halfway through season 2 of THE AMERICANS, which is also pretty damn good at times.
About to start PENNY DREADFUL.
tombando says :
What was that WW2 Robert Ryan flick set in France? '50's? He's a GI. Sounds alot like this and Big Red One….
tombando says :
Ummm nope it's not that one, I remember that. It was black and white and very late 40's or early 50's. Hmmmm I will just imdb it.
tombando says :
Okay my bad it was called Marine Raiders, and was actually in the Pacific. 1944 movie. Saw it ages ago. Ryan was good in most things he did.
Jarv says :
Nope. Hated it.
Continentalop says :
Only saw the first episode so far, which I thought was pretty good save for some big liberties taken with an iconic horror character. But part of the reason I might have dug the pilot was that it reminded me of RPG campaign I played as a teen for a game called CHILL.
Please don't wedgie me.
Jarv says :
It gets much much worse.
Xiphos0311 says :
OITNB lead chick is annoying as fuck and boring as hell. The other inmates however are interesting. I tried to read the book and Piper is 1000s time more self involved and annoying. I couldn't finish that self serving Bullshit.
The Americans, to me. is a big resounding MEH. the Husband needs to shoot Felicity in the head and everybody will be happy.
Continentalop says :
I actually think the point of Piper is to be annoying and whiny. She is spoiled, privileged, and narcissistic, so I don't think you're really supposed to like her that much.
My favorite character in season one was Pennsatucky. But she also exemplified that the show is more than a little classist.
Judge Droid says :
Dumb and Dumber To – I really like the original. This is nowhere near as good. It's not very funny, spends a lot of time and energy replicating imagery from the original, and it's kind of mean spirited.
Get Smart – This is okay. Forgettable entertainment. Could have just been a silly spy action comedy instead of Get Smart because the weakest parts of the movie are the references to the TV show.
Nightcrawler – Gyllenhaal is very good. One of the best performances of last year that I've seen. Overall it effectively takes a shit on the news, even if it does border on silly towards the end. The film does steadily escalate so the trashy last act kind of works as a reflection of the subject matter. Good flick.
Continentalop says :
My biggest problem with NIGHTCRAWLER is that it is already dated. The LA it shows, and how local the news stations operate, seems more like 2000 or 2001 and not 2014 or 2015. And the ending gets a little ridiculous.
Judge Droid says :
How does it seem like 10+ years ago LA? What makes it seem like that?
Continentalop says :
Well for one, crime was worst 10 years ago. And it still was way lower around 2002 than it was in 1992. So the idea of selling fear of crime was much bigger in the early 2000s than now. Local news stations still do crime stories but it isn't there biggest emphasis. And the way the movie presents LA as this dark and scary place is very much from an earlier era.
The other things is that stringers is a dying industry. They'd never get an exclusive deal, and LA cops jam their radio calls now so stringers have no idea what an emergency call is about. On top of it with cell phone cameras everyone is taking videos of accidents as they happen and putting them up for free, making the videos stringers get not that valuable.
Judge Droid says :
The murder rate thing is interesting, but I don't think that really changes the way news channels operate. They still sensationalise and fear monger. The "Sydney Siege" recently showed that.
The dying industry of stringers however is a good point.
Xiphos0311 says :
That shitty last act really fucked Nightcrawler.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
(CNN) -- Dubai already has the world's tallest building, the world's largest shopping mall, and the largest man-made archipelago. So it's no surprise that the country's police would drive one of the world's most extravagant and expensive cars.
The latest addition to the force's fleet is a head-turning Lamborghini Aventador, finished in green and white -- the colors of the Dubai Police force.
WATCH: Dubai police get a Lamborghini
The force made the announcement through its Twitter feed, @DubaiPoliceHQ, resulting in a flurry of tweets with the hash tag #OnlyinDubai.
Latest #Dubai_Police patrols, now at your service. twitter.com/DubaiPoliceHQ/...— Dubai Policeشرطة دبي (@DubaiPoliceHQ) April 10, 2013
Twitter user @eJbacher_says said: "Lambo Cop Cars. Do not speed in Dubai. They will hunt you down and in Italian sports cars."
Another tweet from @knicks20 read: " Wouldn't mind being pulled over by the popo in dubai... Lambo cop cars..."
Why does it not surprise me that Dubai has chosen a $405K Lamborghini as their cop car— Garifallia. (@GarifalliaK) April 11, 2013
May have to think about a transfer!! Dubai Police Unveil Lamborghini Patrol Car news.sky.com/story/1076687/...— NYorks Police RPG (@NYorksRPG) April 11, 2013
In a written statement, the force said the car, which bears the number 8 on a customized license plate, would be a step towards confirming the stature of Dubai as "a city of luxury in all of its facilities."
According to recent figures, 15% of traffic fines issued in Dubai are for driving at speeds in excess of 130 mph (209 kph.)
The car, reported to be worth around $500,000, has a maximum speed of 217 mph (349kph) and can accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) in 2.9 seconds.
Dubai police are not the first force to use Lamborghinis on the roads. The luxury sports vehicles are also used by forces in Italy and Qatar.


text:
When people started referring to the new Scion FR-S as the "Second Coming" we couldn't ignore the little upstart any longer. Eventually Alex jumped on the bandwagon and kept asking why Europe doesn't have anything to rival this 200hp, 2800 lb, RWD coupe for $24200.
To be honest, it's a good question. So we set about trying to find a suitable competitor. The closest we got was the BMW 128i, but it starts at $31k so was eliminated early. It also weighs 3200 lb and doesn't have an LSD option, although its 240hp 2.0L turbo motor might have compensated.
However, we were left with few other options. The Mini Cooper is the right price but its 181hp would be outgunned. And moving to the $31k JCW didn't make sense.
All this was avoiding the inevitable because the definitive European performance car with 200hp starting at $24200 has to be the VW GTI. It's been the benchmark for the hot-hatch market since its inception and would be a valiant opponent for the FR-S.
Additionally, we brought along an E30 BMW M3. This is the car that still defines the concept of a lightweight, RWD sports car, even if its original purchase price put it in a different league. However, along with the E36 and E46 M3s, these cars represent cross-shopping options for anybody looking for a fun, affordable alternative to the Scion.
Scion FR-S
First impressions were good. It's an attractive sports car with tight proportions. You sit low in supportive seats and the manual transmission has a positive short-shift feel. The steering is also communicative and the brakes do the job well.
The engine is a 2.0L Subaru Boxer 16v unit producing 200hp at 7000rpm thanks to variable vale timing and direct injection. It makes 151 lb-ft at 6600rpm, which means it needs to be revved hard to get the most from it. However, power delivery is predictable and easily measured.
Claiming 25mpg combined (22 city, 30 highway), it comes with a decent stereo, USB port, Bluetooth phone and music streaming as well as a digital speedo plus large tachometer.
From our perspective, it's an appealing package. The dash is a little cheesy with its fake carbon finish and the stereo stopped working during our time with it. However, it's easy to drive. Rear visibility is acceptable and the controls were well weighted.
The FR-S was supplied with 215/45 R17 Michelin Primacy tires - a sportier compound of the product used on the Prius. These are key to the car's handling because although they have a relatively low 240 treadwear rating, they let go fairly easily. This allows the car to be thrown around once the traction control is disabled. And this happens at relatively low speed, keeping the car controllable.
The first thing we'd want to do is fit grippier rubber to reduce lap times but then the car will let go at higher speed...
Our colleagues at Motor Trend suggested the otherwise identical but more expensive Subaru BRZ has slightly softer suspension settings and transitions to oversteer less readily on the same tires, making it 0.9sec faster around the same track than the FR-S during their testing.
That said, if you want a stylish, affordable car that will oversteer and drift the rear-end, the FR-S is a good starting point. In the right hands, it's easily controlled at low speed and enormous fun if you have sufficient room.
Our slight concern is that as an entry-level car, where the traction control can be disabled, inexperienced drivers will have their hands full.
On the track we saw several spins (no names) as the car becomes rather twitchy to steering input on the limit. There was always a touch of stability control to intervene, but on a wet country road, you better know what you're doing.
This is the same of any RWD car and one reason why front-wheel drive became so popular for affordable performance cars, not only for packaging reasons but because you simply scrub excess speed with understeer.
Fortunately, the FR-S has a very capable Sport mode that allows more transgression before intervening. It permits some sliding but won't let it get out of control. Used in this mode the car was pretty stable.
Let's not be our parents. We all enjoy a light, responsive car and the Scion FR-S represents everything we want. It's the answer to many people's prayers and is deservedly receiving accolades and strong sales
So how would our Volkswagen GTI stack up? Unfortunately, we weren't able to get a two-door manual version for the test - the spec that would match the $24200 Scion. Instead, we had a four-door with DSG in Autobahn specification that rocketed the price to $32500.
On the track, the DSG paddle shifters should give the GTI a slight advantage against the clock, except the car was 130 lb heavier than a two-door manual, leveling the playing field.
The remarkable thing about the latest Mk6 GTI is how well it transfers all that torque. With 207 lb-ft at 1700rpm, it had the Scion beaten both on paper and the track. With its XDS cross differential and EDL electronic diff lock, the car was transformed over the previous generations.
Where poor traction used to cut the ignition until you were going slow enough to find grip, the new electronics allow the car to spin its wheels and maintain momentum. And since this was FWD, extinguishing the traction control simply brought more wheelspin out of corners, with nobody spinning the GTI all day (partially thanks to stability control that can't be removed).
Slow-in, fast-out is the secret to fast lap times in any FWD car and the GTI wrote the rule book. Yes, it will understeer at the limit, but getting on the power and driving out of the turn makes it a quick car - and this despite being handicapped by all-season tires that exaggerated the understeer.
I've always maintained that a well-driven GTI will keep up with any supercar on a twisty road, especially in poor conditions. And on the track the GTI was clearly quicker than the FR-S.
My doubting colleagues took it in turns to either stay ahead or try to catch the GTI but neither was successful. Despite its understeer and wheelspin, the GTI was able to open a gap on the FR-S, using its torque to haul it out of the turns.
In some of the tighter sections, the FR-S was equally as quick, but when the road opened up, the GTI showed a clean pair of heels.
Put against the clock, the GTI was on average 2.3sec per lap faster than the Scion. That's a significant difference and proof that the GTI remains a potent performance car.
We should point out that Randy Pobst managed to lap the same track 0.3sec quicker in the FR-S than the GTI for Motor Trend (which is why they use him!). However, all three of us were quicker in the VW, proving it's an easier car for mortals to drive fast. (Pobst was 1.15sec quicker in the BRZ than the GTI.)
The criticism is that the GTI's understeer is less fun, and that's undeniable. While it will exhibit some lift-off oversteer, and can be made to rotate into turns, it doesn't have the fluidity of a RWD chassis. However, against the FR-S it was mighty impressive and the more stable when the electronic aids were removed from both cars.
With its practicality, versatility and performance, the VW GTI still represents the benchmark for the hot-hatch market, and long may it continue.
As soon as you closed the door, the M3's quality was apparent by its heavy thud. Even though the US got a watered-down version, the US-spec cars still look and feel very special. Unfortunately, this 24 year-old example had 209000 miles on the clock and although in great condition, couldn't represent the best of the breed.
With the S14 2.3-liter four-cylinder 16v motor developing 192hp at 6750rpm and 170 lb-ft of torque at 4750rpm, it would be an uphill battle for the BMW. Yet it weighed less than 2900 lb, which was definitely in its favor.
In addition to the quality feel of this car, the overriding impression was the neutral cornering. Utterly neutral. You turn the wheel and the car went in that direction. Even on all-season tires, the level of grip was astonishing.
Without a traction control button to press, the M3 relied on mechanical grip and made the other two seem like amateurs in comparison. It was composed and poised in a way few other cars are able to match, even today.
In deference to its age, mileage and spectating owner, we didn't explore the upper reaches of the rev band, nor did we hammer the brakes or tires. Even so, the M3 lapped within 1.5sec of the FR-S and, in its day, we suspect it would have comfortably seen off both. But while it wasn't going to set any new lap records, our laps did confirm the E30 M3 remains the RWD benchmark and can still teach the young'uns a few tricks.
At the end of the day, the Scion FR-S might be the answer to many enthusiasts' wishes. At the very least, it will hopefully prod a few other manufacturers to explore the concept of an affordable RWD car.
If you don't want to join the dark side, the VW GTI is still a great option. And an older M3, whether it's an E30, E36 or E46, might still be the best way to go. Whatever your preference, it's good to know there are some great cars available to us.
In Favor of the FR-S
Say what you will about practicality, economy or space but you're missing the point. The GTI wins in each of these categories but, frankly, it doesn't matter. The single area the FR-S dominates is a three-letter word all enthusiasts understand: fun.
Hands down, you can have more of it in the FR-S thanks to a truly exciting - and sometimes scary - driving experience.
The GTI is safe, predictable and comfortable, where the FR-S is rigid, communicative and twitchy. On a racetrack or the road, the Scion gives driving pleasure. It epitomizes what you want in a sports car.
The FR-S has supportive seats in durable upholstery and a central tacho with integrated shift light. The transmission is direct, the gears short enough to keep the two-liter in its sweet spot. The rear-end is where the power goes and all 200hp is distributed through a stout limited-slip diff.
You can drive it as hard as you like; the brakes don't fade, the water doesn't boil and the oil doesn't burn. It's a punching bag, taking hits like a champ and taunting you for more. It wants to have fun too.
In stock form, the FR-S can be driven on the limit anywhere and can feel like a video game. You want to drift that next turn? Turn off the traction control, turn-in hard and floor it. Counter-steer, giggle, straighten and transition to the next apex. This thing is just awesome.
Now, hop back in the GTI... The equivalent is understeer, an awful trait afflicting FWD cars. Can it be driven quickly and swiftly? Can a less experienced driver go faster? Sure, but that's not the point.
The Scion FR-S is a godsend. The automotive industry has lost sight of fun, affordable, tuneable sports cars. The last one from Germany was the E30 M3 and that was 28 years ago.
Germany currently offers the E9X M3: a V8-powered musclecar that's more than twice the price and weighs 1000 lb more. And there's the GTI: it isn't in the same category, but it's all we've got - a FWD hatchback. I'll take the FR-S and have fun!
- Alex Bernstein
M3 Owner
Having studied transportation design at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Steve Eastwood has worked for design studios across the globe. His passion for design goes beyond the automobile, having worked on everything from Alpine Electronics to various tools and even toys. Currently, Steve's an instructor at the Art Center College of Design Public Programs.
His E30 M3 was purchased about five years ago and with each passing year his devotion deepens. He purchased it with a few aftermarket additions, including 16x7.5/8.5" BBS RS with 225/45 BFG KDW rubber all round. The suspension was upgraded before Steve took ownership, and it has a VSR exhaust center section mated to a Stromung muffler. Inside, you'll find mostly the original interior except for Sparco seats.
Under the hood, the original S14 engine is passing 209000 miles and still runs sweetly. Steve intends to keep the car in its current state for as long as he owns it and has no plans to sell, especially since the 2013 Hagerty Price Guide shows M3 values are rising for good examples.
A Balanced View
I'm perhaps the second biggest GTI fan-boy in the United States. I fall right behind Greg Emmerson, who'll come to blows over the superiority of the original hot-hatch to anything else on four-wheels. Ask me how I know.
I won't argue that the GTI is faster in the hands of all but the fastest pro drivers, or that the GTI is immeasurably more usable. I do, however, hold to the assertion that the small, lithe, RWD FR-S is more fun.
While the GTI might match or beat the FR-S in quantitative measurements, it's the touchy-feely things that make the difference. The GTI turns in with authority, chases apexes and, until you overpower the front-wheels with the copious torque, the front-end responds dutifully. The GTI changes direction well, but it's front-axle first with the rear following along.
The FR-S doesn't so much turn-in as rotate. Every saw of the wheel results in a yawing motion, the kind you get from old sports cars and current exotics. The front wheels determine direction while the rears (via your right foot) control the rate of rotation. The FR-S dances around a turn, where the GTI head-butts the apex.
Everything about the FR-S feels lighter and easier. The gear-change is quick, short and accurate. The steering is well balanced and linear. The naturally aspirated flat-four feels equally light in the way it revs. Heel-toe throttle blips between shifts result in perfectly matched downshifts. Spinning the needle past the blinking shift-light fills the cabin with intake howl and nostalgia. This isn't about lap-times, it's about turning a guy in an entry-level car into Sir Stirling Moss.
At the end of the day, I was asked which car I'd take home. "I'll take a four-door DSG GTI Driver's Edition in Candy White please," was my response. Unfortunately, I can't spend everyday at the racetrack; I have a wife and kid who require their own doors. Although 200hp fills the spec boxes on both cars, the extra torque from the GTI's 2.0T makes a difference in daily commuting. For a second car, the FR-S would be the obvious choice. If it's going to be your only car, the GTI is a no-brainer, just don't tell Emmerson I admitted it!
-Mike Febbo
|Scion FR-S
2013 Scion FR-S
Layout longitudinal front engine, RWD
Engine 1998cc four-cylinder Boxer 16v, dual variable valve timing, D-4S direct and sequential port injection
Drivetrain six-speed manual transmission with Torsen limited-slip diff
Brakes 11.6" f, 11.4" r, ABS
Wheels & Tires 17x7", 215/45 R17 Michelin Primacy HP
MSRP from $24200 ($25092 inc D&D as tested)
Peak Power 200hp at 7000rpm
Peak Torque 151 lb-ft at 6600rpm
0-60mph 6.2sec*
Top Speed n/a
Weight 2758 lb
Economy 22/30mpg (city/highway)
(*figure from Motor Trend Magazine]
Layout transverse front engine, front-wheel drive
Engine 1984cc four-cylinder 16v, TSI direct injection, turbo, intercooler
Drivetrain six-speed DSG automatic with Tiptronic and Sport mode
Brakes 12.3" f, 10.7" r, ABS
Wheels & Tires 18x7.5", 225/40 R18 Dunlop SP Sport 01 A/S
MSRP from $24200 ($32465 inc D&D as tested)
Peak Power 200hp at 5100rpm
0-60mph 6.1sec*
Top Speed 130mph
Weight 3160 lb
Economy 24/33mpg (city/highway)
[*figure from Motor Trend Magazine]
Layout longitudinal front engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine 2302cc four-cylinder 16v
Drivetrain five-speed Getrag manual transmission
Brakes11.2" f & r, ABS
Wheels & Tires 16x7.5" f, 16x8.5" r, BBS RS wheels, 225/45 R16 BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW tires
MSRP $35295 (as sold in 1989)
Peak Power 192hp at 6750rpm
Peak Torque 170 lb-ft at 4750rpm
0-60mph 6.6sec
Top speed 146mph
Weight 2866 lb
Economy 17/21mpg (city/highway)
[figures from Automobile Magazine]


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For my understanding salts in password hashes are used to prevent the precomputation of $plaintext \to hashvalues$ (rainbow tables).
I know from different threads, it is not necessary to keep the salt secret (ie it doesn't need to be encrypted), but nevertheless I was wondering if it would be a problem by making it public?
The background of this question is the following idea:
For password authentication a strong hashing function like bcrypt or scrypt is used. Every user has it's own random and unique salt. However to minimize the load on the server, the hash is calculated at client side. For this to be possible a function must exist, that allows an unauthenticated user to retrieve the salt of any registered user.


text:
Boxing Gym
Front Range Boxing Academy offers classes, lots of open gym hours, private and small group boxing lessons for women and kids of all ages in an 'Old School' but friendly and non-intimidating atmosphere. Our gym is fully equipped with old school and modern boxing training equipment as well as a weight room.
In business since 1994, FRBA has not only trained numerous amateur and professional boxers, we also have considerable experience using boxing as cross training for other sports; including 5 years' as assistant speed, strength and conditioning coach for the C.U. (University of Colorado) Buffs.
Boxing is a confidence builder for men, women and kids alike. The boxing workout is effective in alleviating or mitigating depression and anxiety and is a proven treatment for symptoms of Parkinson's Disease.
Whether your interest lies in competitive, amateur or professional boxing, learning self defense mechanisms, rehabilitating an injury or condition like Parkinson's, cross training to enhance your effectiveness in another sport, or just getting fit and having fun, Front Range Boxing is the place to train.


text:
From: Mark Plancke <soundtch@x??x.xxxx
Date: Fri Nov 19, 1999 3:24 pm
Subject: Vocal Booth Treatment
I've got some questions about treating my vocal/booth.
I'm planning on using the space for tracking quiet instruments
when doing basics and louder instruments that need super
isolation from the quiet ones.
Examples would include: Acoustic Gtr, Vocals, Marshall Amp
The space consists of the following
5' 2" x 6' x 6' 8" (ceiling)
While these may not be idea dimensions for a booth, that's
what I've got to work with. All the walls are insulated with a
double layer of 5/8" drywall, the ceiling is the same construction
and has a nice airspace above it detaching it from the existing ceiling.
There will be two glass window areas covering 2x3 and 3x3
areas in two of the four walls. There is also a door on the
wall shared by one of the windows.
| |
- |
- |
| |
---| |------| |--|
That's the layout with a window on the left and front walls
and the door on the front wall.
I was thinking that I need to treat the two unubstructed
walls with 4" 703 as well as filling around the windows
and doors with the same material.
I'm not sure what to do with the ceiling. Would some
sort of diffussion be appropriate keeping in mind the
limited head room of the cieling itself.
I want to avoid a "chesty" sounding booth at all costs.
Mark Plancke
Windsor, Ontario Canada


text:
Our company are VERY VERY SCARE of install any new update release for Solidworks. Every Solidworks update, 1 or 2 of our team will lost 1 day or two of unable to work properly until they have spend hours of hours with Solidwork support team! Over 13 years with Solidworks, I would like ask Solidworks Community if our company should start to invest in new CAD Software. If you have something to suggest I am more than happy to hear from you!
to MichaelSmith from Admin
edited by moderator, references out of topic / commercial : hi, I removed your website link since you are spamming it in all your posts without having any context in the message you post. Although your posts look genuines I am having a suspect that your account is used to make spam. Please feel free to pvt me for any question.


text:
Diller and Scofidio create "mischievous" leak inside Nouvel gallery.
They wanted to pay tribute to the original architecture of the galleries by using it as a raw material for their work.
"As the space is a provocation to artists and curators, so the installation is a provocation to the building," Diller told Dezeen.
"One of the obvious attributes is this transparency and how it creates a provocation to everyone using it. So our first instinct was to create a problem for that transparency and to flirt with it in a different way."
The glass walls of the larger gallery space to the left of the main entrance are coated with a liquid crystal film that fades in and out of transparency as an electric current passes through it.
"Liquid crystal film has been around probably for about twenty years or more. Generally it goes off and on. What makes this film unique is that you can control it," explained Scofidio. "You can actually dial it down so it gradually changes to transparent, to translucent."
"We tried to make it as invisible as possible," added Diller.
A red plastic bucket on wheels appears to be the only occupant of the room. Inside the bucket is a camera and sensors that guide its movements around the space to collect drops of water that fall from the ceiling, as if there is a leak. As each drop falls, a loud noise sounds.
"We came up with this kind of mischievous thing, this leak. Just a leak, but it's a very smart leak with a very smart bucket that captures it," said Diller. "The [idea of this] empty space with just one very kind of banal object that is actually doing something very smart – it grew out of that. And then we thought: okay what do we do with the sound of that drop? How do we relate it to the next space?"
The smaller gallery to the right of the main entrance is occupied by a large screen that hangs parallel to the floor like a suspended ceiling, but just one metre above ground level.
To view the images being shown, visitors are invited to lie down on black loungers supported on wheels and propel themselves underneath the screen or use curved mirrors controlled using long black metal handles.
Once underneath, the moving image they see is a blown up version of the video footage captured by the camera in the bucket moving around in the space opposite. As each drop falls into the bucket, the surface of the water ripples, with the effect becoming amplified on the screen.
The sounds initially generated to accompany the drops of water also become distorted in the second room and choral voices are added to the acoustic arrangement, which was devised by American composer David Lang.
"The notion of, in one space – in the big space – doing something very tiny, almost invisible, almost nothing, and then taking that to the other space, makes it into the comic here and the sublime over there," said Diller.
"It's doing something that's very ethereal in a way, but also grotesque, with that very large image and that drop becoming very forceful and the compression of watching with that very low floor-to-ceiling height."
"We started by doing installations in galleries and it's only now that we are the other side of the wall," said Scofidio.
"We never said 'one day we'll be doing this' or 'one day we'll have a big office'. It was never our intention. We were simply doing things that interested us and using the way that architects conceive the world to investigate conditions which we generally don't pay a lot of attention to."


text:
The basic and significant advice that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) gave to those who took his Bai'at was to bring about a pure change in self, to inculcate a relationship with God and to try and attain high morals. He states at one place:
'The purpose of their joining the Movement and establishing with me a relationship like that of a disciple is that they should achieve a high degree of piety and righteousness. No wrongdoing or mischief should ever come near them. They should offer the five daily Prayers regularly and with congregation, and should not lie nor hurt anyone by their tongues. They should not be guilty of any kind of vice and should not let even a thought of mischief, wrongdoing or transgression pass through their minds. They should shun every type of sin, offence, undesirable speech and action, as well as all egoistic passions and unruly behaviour. They should become pure-hearted, harmless and meek servants of God Almighty, and no poisonous germ should flourish in their beings.' [Essence of Islam, Vol. IV, pp. 349 – 250]
Hudhur said followers of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) try for these matters. A revolutionary change comes about after taking Bai'at among those who understand the significance of it and today Hudhur presented some incidents illustrating this. These incidents are about people from different racial backgrounds who shun egotistic wishes, progress in following the commandments and try to enhance spiritual development. Love and fear of God is dominant over love and fear of the world in their hearts. Hudhur said these incidents are taken from the report that Hudhur customarily gives in his second day speech of Jalsa Salana. Due to lack of time this year, these incidents were left out. They come under an important heading: 'Extraordinary changes in new converts after accepting Ahmadiyyat'. Hudhur said the significance of this subject is that it helps long-term Ahmadis to enhance their belief. It is also a source of their reformation, whereas the new comers further progress through it.
Ameer sahib of Delhi Jama'at writes about an important change in an Usman sahib who took his Bai'at at the Jalsa of 2010. Prior to Bai'at he used to say his Salat randomly. Not only is he now regular in his five daily Prayers, but he also offers Tahajjud. Hudhur prayed that may God make him continue this with resolve and may those long-term Ahmadis who show indolence in these matters realise that after coming into Bai'at one has to discharge one's responsibilities. Without this, Bai'at is only in name and one should reflect over the efforts the newcomers are making in bringing about changes.
Missionary Tariq Mahmood sahib from Ghana writes that recently a conference of new Ahmadis was held in the north of the country. Hudhur explained that northern Ghana mostly comprises of Muslims. In early days Ahmadiyyat spread in the south of the country which is mainly inhabited by Christians, whereas there was a lot of opposition in the Muslim areas. However, now Ahmadiyyat is spreading fast in the north as well. Hudhur related that in the conference for new Ahmadis a new Ahmadi Imam said that although he and others were always Muslims but they were quite unaware of the real teachings of Islam and Ahmadiyyat had introduced them to the correct teachings of Islam. He said he used to dispense amulets and charms beforehand but now knows they are un-Islamic. Hudhur said indeed the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) helped remove these harmful innovations in religion and taught to only forge a direct connection with God.
President of Rakosa region writes about a new Ahmadi who recounts that he used to flare up in temper very easily and would verbally and physically abuse his family. Since taking Bai'at, his attention is drawn towards Salat and God has given him patience and steadfastness. Hudhur said he has mentioned before about a German new Ahmadi young man who met Hudhur in Germany and had told Hudhur how fierce a temper he used to have and how Ahmadiyyat had generated patient and forbearance in him. This was because he had inculcated a connection with God which enabled him to control his emotions.
Another new Ahmadi says that he was used to alcohol and cigarettes etc. but has left it all since accepting Ahmadiyyat. He says that if one is regular in Salat one is drawn away from these matters. Hudhur added that it is sincere Salat that takes one away from ills, indeed such should be one's Salat. Even today we find numerous incidents in the world of Ahmadiyyat where when man sincerely turns to and connects to God and becomes a living and shining example of the Quranic statement that Salat restrains one from '…indecency and manifest evil…' (29:46). Hudhur said that the fact is every claim and every prophecy of the Holy Qur'an is being fulfilled in this era through those who follow the teachings of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace).
Ameer sahib Ghana writes about a new convert that once they had gone for Tabligh purposes to the Upper East area where a school teacher took his Bai'at. Later, he came to a national Ijtima of Khuddam with twenty other school teachers whom he had already converted to Ahmadiyyat.
It is reported from Burkina Faso that the father of an Ahmadi Khadim and his three Ahmadi brothers is extremely antagonist. He verbally abuses them and turns them out of the family home. An Ahmadiyya radio station operates in Burkina Faso, in addition other radio stations also give slots to Jama'at programmes. One day the father was listening to a dars on the state radio station and was very impressed by it. He told his sons that they had joined the 'disbelievers' and should listen to the programme because it contained the words of real people of God; words which penetrated the heart. He had no idea it was a Jama'at programme. When, at the end of the programme a poem depicting the words 'Ahmadiyyat Zinabad (long live)' was played as the signature tune of the programme, the father promptly switched the radio off. The sons said indeed, these are the people of God. They report that they are now affiliated to the Jama'at more than before.
Our missionary from Kyrgyzstan, Arshad Mahmood sahib writes that a local young woman accepted Ahmadiyyat. She worked at an American base in Kyrgyzstan where, seeing her upright and decent character, a Christian young man asked her to marry him. She told him that she was an Ahmadi and would let him know after taking advice. She was advised that Muslim women cannot marry non-Muslim men. The good-natured young woman thus declined the proposal. The Christian young man was attracted to her asked her would she marry him if he accepted Islam? She replied that if he wished to accept Islam he should do so considering it as the true faith and not simply for the sake of getting married. Hudhur said the girl stood her ground in spite of the fact that due to the economic situation of the country, Kyrgyz girls prefer to marry foreigners. The Christian young men researched and studied Islam for six months and in July 2011 he accepted Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam. During his research he came across anti-Ahmadiyya web sites, however his heart was satisfied on Ahmadiyyat, true Islam and he brought the pure change in his life.
Hudhur said this is the kind of pure change and steadfastness for which prayer is made; indeed this is the prayer that should be made. The young Kyrgyz woman who was a new Ahmadi indeed declined an outwardly good proposal for the sake of faith. Therein is cause for concern for those young women who wish to marry outside the Jama'at and people who wish to do Bai'at only for the sake of marriage. The rule to generally let a year pass before marriage is permitted between girls with men outside the Jama'at is there to ensure that men do not take Bai'at merely for the sake of marriage. Hudhur said some websites create suspicions in the hearts of those who have lack of knowledge and the youngsters. The odd one is influenced but this Christian American young man also came across the web sites of our detractors, he also looked at our web sites and compared them. He then prayed and realised the truth and accepted Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam. Our youngsters, especially the teenagers who are provoked through such web sites should pray and should not be embroiled in any complex. Our teaching is full of reasoning and proofs. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) proved everything with proofs. What is needed is to acquire religious knowledge.
Anser Abbas sahib, our missionary in Benin writes that a maulwi came to a Jalsa that they had organised for new converts. He started to mislead people there saying that if they accepted Ahmadiyyat or had accepted it already, they would be put in Fire, so they should promptly repent. He said all the other Imams considered the Ahmadis hell-bound, so why were people trying to listen to them. He also said that the Muslims of Pakistan do not like Ahmadis at all. Our Ahmadi mu'allim (teacher) present there asked him if what the maulwi was saying was corroborated by the Qur'an? If it did, then everyone would accept what he was saying. The maulwi replied what was the need to go to the Qur'an when all the Imams in Benin considered Ahmadis to be wrong. Listening to this, the new Ahmadis were impassioned and they said if he did not need to refer to the Qur'an then he was not needed there and they tried to turn him out. Our missionary asked them to desist but they turned him out. Hudhur said the history of Ahmadiyyat is full of instances where Ahmadis tried to prove their point in light of the verses of the Holy Qur'an and our detractors referred to other matters and some Ahadith with their own interpretations.
Anser Abbas sahib also writes that in a Tabligh event on 12 July 2011people were informed about the advancement of Islam through the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). People expressed the wish to join in this advancement and as a result 166 Bai'its were taken. It was decided that Jummah (Friday Prayer) would be offered after a day. The village people said they had been Muslims for the past fifteen years but they did not know what Jummah was. Anyhow, Friday Prayer took place and a refresher course regarding worship and Quranic teaching was organised for the newcomers. The Ahmadis of a neighbouring village were asked to offer Friday Prayer with them. They said they had differences dating backs years and there was no social interchange between the two villages. Both the villages were advised that by accepting Ahmadiyyat, they were now as one, that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) had in fact come to unit people for the advancement of Islam. This had a positive effect and the two villages met through Friday Prayers and thus the subject of '…Prayer on Friday…' (62:10) was realised in a new form. After fifteen years, Friday Prayers were held there. Through the blessings of Jummah their mutual differences were removed. In such circumstances, not only are old differences removed, rather the subject of '…tender among themselves…' (48:30) begins and feelings of sense of sacrifice for each other start.
Ameer sahib of Delhi writes that Muhammad Mursaleen sahib came into the Jama'at in 2008. Three days after his Bai'at he had a detailed dream in which he saw the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) who asked him to go to Punjab. Mursaleen sahib went to Qadian, where he discovered the room which he had seen in his dream. This strengthened his belief and gave him peace of mind.
Hudhur said God also grants acceptance of prayers to the new comers which develops their belief further. Hudhur illustrated a few examples.
Ameer sahib of Burkina Faso writes that a member of the Jama'at fell extremely ill and doctors said that further treatment was not going to help and sent him home. He was then taken to the governmental hospital in the capital city of Ouagadougou but they refused to treat him. The Ameer sahib counselled them that doctors only view the apparent condition and advised them to write to Hudhur for prayers. The letter was sent on the same day and the family started praying fervently. Such was the grace of God that he started regaining his health and was cured. Conversely, another local man who was extremely opposed to us and was in very good health, while listening to an Ahmadi radio programme furiously said, 'do not listen to disbelievers.' He was told if he did not agree with us that was fine, but he did not have to be verbally abusive. However, he was adamant. He went to bed that night but did not wake up.
A mu'allim from Benin, Zakaria sahib writes that an Ahmadi's child went missing He searched all over the place and had it announced on the radio that his child had gone missing. With no results, he lost hope. The mu'allim told him that it was a sin to lose hope and asked him to pray, saying he too would pray. The father fell down in prostration before God and prayed to God pleading that he was the only one in the area who had accepted the Imam of the age. He pleaded to God, 'Your Imam is certainly true, for the sake of his truth, return my child to me.' After finishing a prolonged prayer, as he returned home from the route where he had lost the child, he saw his child alive in the jungle. He says that this was a living miracle of the truth of Hadhrat Imam Mahdi (on whom be peace) for him.
Ameer sahib of Niger writes that a person used to offer his Salat in the Ahmadiyya mosque. One day he took his Bai'at. The officials at his bank started bothering him that he had accepted Ahmadiyyat because he was offered money. He became very concerned and prayed at night for guidance from God, supplicating that he could only see what was evident. That night he had a dream in which he saw a gathering (Ijtima) in which everyone is dressed in white. He saw Hudhur Aqdas on a stage and Hudhur is also dressed in white and is proclaiming out aloud La illaha illal la (there is none worthy of worship except Allah) and everyone is repeating it after Hudhur. The atmosphere is that of rapture. Upon waking he was satisfied that his decision to join Ahmadiyyat was indeed correct and this further strengthened his faith.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote that in the past century none other than the Ahmadiyya Community experienced has a time which was on the precepts of Prophethood where people attained spiritual light as the Companions of the Prophet attained. Where people endured derision, abuse and grief of prohibition as the Companions did. Yet they judiciously continue to attain pure life, they beseech God in their Salat, weeping and many have true dreams and some receive revelations. They are gentle of heart and abide by true Taqwa. This is the party of God of whom God Himself is taking care. He draws them closer through heavenly signs as He drew the Companions. These people have all the indications of the latter-ones.
Hudhur prayed that may God increase each Ahmadi in faith and belief and may our sincere connection with our Creator continue to grow. Hudhur announced that he would lead funeral Prayer after Friday Prayer of Khurshid Begum sahiba who passed away on 27 August. She was the niece of Babu Qasim Din sahib, a companion of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). May God elevate her station and grant steadfastness to the bereaved family.
Related Resources


text:
Professional Candle Making Supplies Since 1972
Pumpkin Fragrance Oil
Gel Compatible
- Good for Paraffins and Natural Waxes
- Gel & Clear Base Compatible
Product Description
Specifically formulated for use in candles (not for use in foods). The perfume fragrances are 100% concentrates and will give your candles a lively scent. These scents are classified for 3-4% usage. The scents should be added to the wax just before pouring in mold at wax temperature of 180 to 200 F. Note: 1oz orders are shipped in 4oz containers.
Customer Reviews
"Just got our pumpkin and spiced cider, they smell great and we can't wait to use them!" - Eccentric Circles on Facebook
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Shipping Information
To see shipping costs, proceed to checkout to get up-to-date rates. Orders are shipped by UPS or FedEx. View the Shipping Information page for more details.


text:
While cruising around Pinterest, I found a couple of great activities to use for Kindergarten activity centers.
Wondering what to do with the extra two thousand Highlights stickers you have accumulated? Here's a great hands-on activity to practice counting.
I found this great idea on Pinterest that comes from Tunstall Times!
You can use up more stickers making some ordinal number strips. Place stickers across a strip of heavy duty paper, grab a clothespin, and you're all set. Here the clothespin is showing the sticker in 5th place.
*You can even use stickers that go with your unit topic to make it more thematic.
I also got busy creating the following activities. They will be used as my first Literacy Centers. Students will use magnetic letters or letter tiles to complete these tasks!
uppercase & lowercase
uppercase & lowercase
beginning sounds
vowel sounds
ending sounds
The above activities and more are available {here}.
The set includes practice with:
beginning sounds
ending sounds
vowel sounds
CVC words
alphabetical order/missing letters
Then I got busy making a few activities that will be used as my first Math Centers. Students will complete the tasks using magnetic numbers or number tiles.
These number activities can be found {here}.
Check out my Pinterest boards, packed with more engaging learning activities!
Click the link below:


text:
Hip Hop
dogfuck Blows Off Steam On Brand New Album 'VIOLENTHEADJERK'
dogfuck expresses his anger in a healthy way through music. Sure enough, his latest album, 'VIOLENTHEADJERK' features a total of 9 songs with violent undertones. Impressively, the American artist not only pours his heart out with explicit lyrics but also his intense rhyme schemes deal with different issues. Also, he wrote his personal verses and own beats with a lot of originality. You can tell his endorphins are kickin' in, while he explores subjects related to depression, drug addiction, dysfunctional family, working overtime, sex, and many other concerns challenging society. Overall, his flow is captivating and somehow conversational. Stream 'VIOLENTHEADJERK' via SoundCloud down here!
1 – Nuke The (feat Tamsyn)- 00:00
2 – Spiders – 03:21
3 – Duck – 04:53
4 – Udder – 07:37
5 – 95:80 mehSaH
6 – Dial -10:20
7 – People I know – 12:05
8 – Knob – 13:16
9 – Nothinging – 15:37
Hip Hop
Will Hecht Redefines Modern Hip-Hop In "Strange Love" — LISTEN
You may wonder what makes Will Hecht's music exceptional. The answer is, in my view, his refreshing modern sound + the smooth/raspy singing style that enchants listeners. Certainly, his newest single, "Strange Love" will definitely blow you away. As a true genre-bending virtuoso, he experiments with contemporary Hip-Hop and Pop elements like none other.
Without fail, it's a summertime anthem with a tropical-infused rhythm. As a matter of fact, the marimba-like instrumentals will bring you back incredible memories of the sun, beach, and sand instantly. Not in vain, the vivid cover matches the concept of the whole tune. Likewise, this one is quite an upbeat jam that makes riding in the car fun.
Happiness is a road trip with a good playlist, therefore, here you have something great for it. So, don't think twice, just press play below.
Hip Hop
A "Luv" Letter Turned Into A Song Worth Listening To, Check This Out!
Love letters can transcend time and go beyond words when they transform into music. This is exactly what Drew Ramz did in order to pay homage to his wife. The indie artist's latest release, "Luv" will bring you memories of old-school songs that still live in your mind. Best of all, his smooth-flowing rhymes awaken romanticism that can even melt cold hearts.
It is noteworthy this is the first time the South Carolina-based rapper has sung on a tune. Naturally, you can tell he pours his heart out in the intimate lyrics. Passion and commitment are the main ingredients of this amazing composition which differs from those urban cuts that sadly express profanity or revolve around sex, drugs, and violence. By all means, "Luv" is quite the opposite of that and it is worth listening to. Give it a try below, and get ready to fall in love once again like on Valentine's day.
Hip Hop
Watch The Video For Devin Hailey's RnB Love Song "Kick It 2 U"
Yes, the music video for Devin Hailey's special RnB love song has arrived! Besides being the nephew of legendary urban artist JoJo Hailey (K-Ci & JoJo), he is rapidly growing in popularity.
Yes, the music video for Devin Hailey's special RnB love song has arrived! Besides being the nephew of legendary urban artist JoJo Hailey (K-Ci & JoJo), he is rapidly growing in popularity. As of today, his work has received praise from Billboard, Hollywood Life, KDAY LA, etc. Surely enough, creativity is inherited but I think his musical talent is authentic. Showing off his dope lyrical flow and charisma, you can tell he gives the most of himself in the visuals for "Kick It 2 U". His uncle's label, JT Entertainment welcomes this feel-good hit which outstands due to its bombastic chorus.
On the other hand, there are different ways to cope with the loss of a loved one. In this context, Devin overcame grief through the production of "Kick It 2 U". Channeling emotions into romantic verses and groovy instrumentals was a wise decision. Life continues whatever happens, and his positive attitude took his imagination to come into play. Beyond question, I bet you'll end up listening to it on repeat the entire week.
Hip Hop
TGYE's Album 'Vibez In The P.M' Sets New Standards In Hip-Hop
It's rare to come across artists as original and authentic as TGYE (aka Thank God You're Eternal). Certainly, he injects a whole fresh style of Hip-Hop to the underground scene. He sets new standards by bringing out 7 outstanding tracks to the table with the album 'Vibez In The P.M'. On this record, the North Carolina-born talent envelops your senses with melodic bops. Best of all, each tune has its own essence to kill boredom. From my view, it offers an energetic listening experience from start to finish. Plus, good vibes and spectacular flow all around.
On this point, this material has reached over 10K streams on Spotify. "Remember This" serves as a good example. It is based on a short story that talks about being confused and lost. Here the message is clear, he makes a call for overcoming fears so that you can beat down the boundaries. At the end of the day, finding a better way to your life seems to be the path. The whole composition involves captivating acoustics and smooth rap verses. TGYE has announced that he will be releasing a music video for "Haunted" on September 3rd.
Interestingly enough, he admits his main influence is Classical music. Therefore, you can tell he prefers slow beats than loud ones. He was lucky enough to be raised in a musical environment. Someday he aspires to become a great artist. That's exactly how he wants to be remembered in the future. Needless to say, passion is energy, so it's time to put that into action every single day.
Hip Hop
Here Is Wingman's Debut Album, 'Weird New Feelings' — LISTEN
'Weird New Feelings' is a collection of 8 tracks that highlights Wingman's lyrical prowess with brilliant storytelling, metaphors, and punchlines. The question is, is it any good? Yes, it is. The up-and-coming artist who resides in LA stays true to his Hip-Hop roots. However, he is committed to a cutting-edge sound and, of course, electronic music is part of it.
On a side note, besides being a West Coast rapper, he also pilots insane aircraft at his homeland. Overall, the album keeps casual fans of Rap entertained with constant mood changes. Indeed, it's impressive the way he employs a fast rapping technique without running out of breath. You won't be disappointed at all, he explores the urban life on this first material, which is also a but poppy and quite varied with no bad tunes. Listen in full 'Weird New Feelings' via Spotify right here.
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